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Plot Information for Little Terreille

A naive Black Jeweled witch has destroyed the Territory Court. From its ashes a new court is being constructed, one run by a manipulative killer. As the blood runs in the streets of Goth from open gang warfare, the Steward of Little Terreille begins a gambit to rebuild the Territory from the ground up and challenge the Star of Kaeleer.

Common sense would dictate that the school was .. phenomenal. Common sense would tell her that with the school in such good shape, so quickly, that it 'must' be a success once its doors fully opened. Common sense, however, also said that the school had FAR more money put into it than she had allocated.

And she knew how much she had put into it, because Jack and Eirnan wouldn't fudge the numbers. Especially not with Petre there to help them ensure that everything matched. Petre might be a disaster, socially speaking, but his mind was a trap for numbers. She'd trust his mind over everyone else's at any point when it came to numbers.

Her head turned side to side as she walked through teh school with Merihem, admiring all of it. She could see classes in her mind's eye learning from both Blood and Landen - could see how in a generation or two Little Terreille would be a bastion of progressive and forward thinking.

Her dream - that Blood and Landen would rise above their racial angst - was going to come to fruition. And Moe..? Moe was old enough that he could ensure it happened. Long after she was dead, he could still push her legacy to fruition. There was a peace in that. There was.. relief.

The building was beautifully done. It had an air of professionalism without feeling.. static. It didn't have that 'old world' feel that would denote elitism - this felt open, welcoming.. It also smelled of baked goods, and she'd every intention of asking him why when she had time.

Apparently too welcoming, as she spotted one of Rayne's undergarments dangling off a light when she entered Merihem's office and quickly turned to speak with her escorts.

She gave her guards notice that there was some final business to be done with Prince Striker as they reached his office once more, but she knew full well they were far from finished. She locked the doors, shielding them firmly before turning and wrapping her arms around her most recent Bonded.

"I've missed you." She said it quietly, burying her face into his shirt as she dragged his scent into her lungs. Playing at him not being so precious was almost painful. That her Bonded knew of him helped - but it didn't change that she hated hiding his existence. Hated it, even as she knew he was most useful being hidden.

"This building.. it's amazing. But.. Moe.. do I want to know where all of the money came from?"

Merihem took great pleasure showing his Queen the fruits of his labors. He had been working on it since the day he arrived (not to mention all the groundwork he had been laying for generations, ever since Chiara painted a clear-enough picture of what Odelle would need) and finally, it was done. The shell, at least. The true operation wouldn’t begin until move-in day for the staff, and not have a heart -and a cover- until the students started streaming in.

There were two wings. One was made up of all the classrooms, lecture halls, dining rooms and all other functional spaces, the other housing for the staff and teachers who would be staying on. Many of the students would be coming from the nearby villages and towns or by Coach, but there would be others who would board at the school, many of whom would be the Landen students from out of the area.

Despite the pleasure of seeing her eyes go wide and fingers continuously reaching out to trail over the polished banisters or thick drapes, Moe still spent the entire hour tour of the grounds and building gritting his teeth every time she looked away.

He hadn’t gotten to hug her yet.

It was a little thing. He knew it was coming, but still, she was his Queen.

His Queen!

And they were in his lair, and yet there were males hovering around her closer than he was. It didn’t matter that he had been there when Odelle and her First Circle had decided that she went nowhere outside the Seat without adequate guards, and it didn’t matter that he was grateful for the sharp, always-scanning eyes of her guards. They were close to her and he was a pace further away and this was the only time he was getting with her all week and he hadn’t gotten to hug her yet.

The moment the door to his office closed, that distance between them shifted. By the time her head turned back towards him, Moe’s toes were on the ‘probably safe from shoe throwing outside this point’ line, eyes fixed on Odelle.

“Permission to cash in my weekly fifteen minutes of unimpeded fussing right now.” He requested, harkening back to one shouted conversation about her safety between the group in the know about her bond to Moe, where he had argued her up from ten seconds all the way to fifteen minutes on the reasoning that the rest of the boyos got whole days, and it wasn’t at all fair that he couldn’t pitch in.

“And trust me, Odelle darling, you never want to ask me about where the money comes from.” He added, with a twinkle in his eye.

Permission to cash in my weekly fifteen minutes of unimpeded fussing right now.

She grinned, tucking her face back into his shirt. "If you must." She couldn't blame him, after all. All week he had to pretend at a more distant concern. He had to pretend that he didn't feel anxiety crashing through him whenever she wasn't easily accessible.

It burned that they could so easily thrust all of this aside if they just.. stopped hiding. But as willing as she was - she knew he wasn't. Moe truly believed this was the best option. He was far older than she was. He was probably right. But it didn't mean she had to like the situation, damnit.

The only silver lining to him not being allowed to fuss over her every minute of the day was that he could only do it once in a while - and so it was far easier to deal with when Moe did it than anyone else.

Moe and Eirnan.. her more 'reasonable' males when it came to fussiness. Something that still struck her as damned odd.

"Well.. no one has ever accused me of being overly wise. So I'll probably forget that it is something I don't want to know and ask anyways." She muttered it against his chest, well aware that he was probably quite serious.

Merihem was hers, and she adored him. But it didn't change the fact that he was.. well.. who he was. There were darker shades to his soul that she sometimes caught whiffs of - and far from causing her worry they made her smile. Merihem Striker was terrifying, in his own way.

So was Kamal. She seemed to attract the terrifying Warlord Princes. What, she had to wonder, did that mean?

"This school is amazing, Moe. It really is. You've outdone my wildest dreams. When will you be opening the first classes?"

As her arms wrapped around his waist and his encircled her shoulders, Moe let out the first easy breath since Odelle had arrived. No, if he was honest, it was the first easy breath since the last time he had been about to touch her. Not even his evenings with Rayne, while highly enjoyable, mellowed out the part of him that was a Warlord Prince with over two thousand years without the centering presence of a Queen. With Odelle tucked up against him though, that roiling mess of anger and need just… untangled itself and curled up, purring.

“If you do, I will continue to reply with vague and suspicious answers because I have a reputation to maintain. It might be worth mentioning though that my family has been in banking for longer than this Territory has had plumbing, and the cost of one building, however nice, hardly puts a dent in the interest I get from just the accounts I moved over to Little Terreille.” He said, with a low chuckle as he squeezed her tight once more then stepped back, taking her hand.

“Let me show you where I really sank in some funds.” Hand still tight around hers, he activated the secret door in the paneling of his office and lead her down the stairs into the basement.

Now that it was done, the stairwell led into Moe’s other office, the one where the walls were already covered with maps, papers and pictures, pins with threads connecting many of them. Unlike upstairs, where everything was comfortable but minimalist, down here every bookshelf, table and many of the chairs were cluttered with stuff. Chiara often teased him about his habit of keeping everything but that hadn’t curbed the tendency in the slightest, and he’d been working out of this office for months now. “Sorry about the mess, right through here” He said, guiding her through the other door into the staff room. Ten minutes later, after showing her the rest of the basement including all the safety features for students and staff, and with five minutes left on the fussing clock, they got back to the staff room and Moe pulled Odelled down onto one of the couches, and use Craft to pull the plate of fresh cookies from the counter to the coffee table.

“Here, I have this assistant cook who makes the best cookies. You should have a few while you tell me how you’ve been and how much you want to throw shoes at Jack and Kamal.”

"It.. is getting a little easier. Though whether that's because I'm growing used to it or they're finally backing off, that's.. up for debate." She nibbled on a cookie after 'checking' it, having learned her lesson.

Painfully for her pride, but that was simply the nature of the game apparently.

She looked around his staff room, well aware that the office here below with them was really where the true office was. He'd done amazing things. He'd done it so well that it was.. mildly alarming. How long had he been planning something like this? Had Chiara really given him that much of a heads up?

She supposed she must have - after all, he'd known exactly what he needed to be when he'd reached out to her. Even still it was a little shocking to see it in action - and technically, this wasn't in action yet.

This was the pre-show. The warm up.

"How is the employment going? Plenty of dossiers were sent over, but.. are you having any trouble filling out the positions? I've got applications from across the Province. I can have those delivered whenever you would like."

After all, this first year was going to be slightly older children. Children that had some grip on themselves, so that they could iron out the 'hitches' that they were likely to run into. It was breath-taking that her dream was already starting to bloom - that an idea she'd been harboring for years was coming to fruition not even two years after she'd first started the real planning work.

And.. mostly because of this man. True, they'd had the building construction ordered - but they likely wouldn't be ready this fast if not for Moe taking command of it. She reached out, setting her hand on his wrist. "You're a miracle, Merihem Striker. I hope you know that."

“Probably a bit of both, and I’m sure it will get easier yet once the culprit is found. I haven’t found them yet, but I will. My net is cast and it will catch something eventually. It doesn’t matter how subtle the person or people are, they will inevitably step out of whatever hole in the ground they are hiding in and then they will be dead.” He spoke without any hesitation on the matter. He wasn’t even sure who it was who would kill them, but between himself, Rayne, Kamal and the other males who served Odelle, someone was going to strike a killing blow against those who tried to take their Queen away from them.

His arm around her shoulders tightened and he turned to bury his face in her dark hair, breathing in her calming scent. Still here, for a few more decades with any luck, she was still here.

“Go ahead and send them. I’ve filled several positions, including a Landen woman who I think will make an admirable second in command here, but There are still a few spots open. I think I’ll be aiming to begin teaching classes come fall, though we’ll be ready to accept students for boarding a few weeks earlier if needed. I would like to borrow you and Rayne for a day or two at some point to power up some of the security spells. Chiara is holding some of them, but I’d sleep better knowing the staff and students under my protection has at least a Sapphire powered alarm system around the grounds and building, especially for the Landen among them. I’m not expecting much in the way of trouble, of course, but better safe than sorry.”

It was a blatant lie. Moe always expected trouble. That was how he planned a hundred steps ahead and along every axis of probability, but the chance of anyone targeting the school any time soon was fairly minimal. He didn’t feel the need to worry Odelle about it though, not until he had any indication of a threat going from virtual to actual.

The touch of her fingers on his wrist snapped him out of his thought and he turned his attention back to her. “I do. Got a diploma from the school of miracle workers and everything. Didn’t you see it up on the wall in my office?” He teased, then grew solemn. “In all seriousness though, my Lady, I’m not. Call me a miracle when we’ve gone ten years without anyone intent on harming you getting within twenty miles of you. Then I’ll accept the title and not a minute earlier. I know I haven’t been hovering, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been concerned.”

"I will do you a rather large favor then.. I will have both myself and Rayne help power your security. What one Sapphire can do, two can do better." She smiled, tipping her head to the side and giving him one of her best smiles. She knew that smile could knock pants down at forty paces.. She'd checked.

It was something that she'd always been good at, twining people around her fingers. Gustav Fyers had noticed it when she did a few lessons with him so many years before - but she'd never been able to successfully spin the male around her fingers like she could most. Some were just immune to the more subtle touches, she knew that... And even then she'd known better than to make active attempts against those who were so protected without more practice beneath her belt.

Sometimes she felt a little... Concerned.. About herself. More often, of late. She knew that she had her people's best interests at heart - she knew that anything she did she did in the hopes that her people and land would be better off for it. That didn't change the fact that she knew she could be downright ruthless at times.

And murderous, at least once. Probably more, if it became necessary. She took a deep breath, curling her fingers around Moe's hand before lifting it to bring it against her cheek. Her eyes closed, body nestling in against his for comfort. "Your concern.. Is always welcome, Merihem." She couldn't feed him her Touch very well.. Though she tried. It just.. Wasn't something she was great at.

And how that shamed her. Even still, she fed more of her Strength into it, uncaring of the effect that it drained her so quickly. Besides... Moe wasn't likely to know that it took more effort, and even if he had.. That was just a sign of how much she cared that she would expend so much effort to bring him some peace to the turmoil he so obviously felt over the situation.

"I have complete faith that all of you will get to the bottom of it, Merihem. You would never allow it to go unanswered."

Her offer to help Rayne power the defenses on the school was met with a squeeze and a quiet, “thank you, Lady. It will do my heart good to know I don’t have to worry so much for the safety of this place and can concentrate on yours instead. When I’m not teaching the next generation how to be tolerant and suitably interesting. Wouldn’t it be terrible if they didn’t turn out interesting? I swear if I have to live through one more generation of boring people I am going to go as mad as Chiara and start wearing socks on my head.” He said, in such an even, easy tone that one would think he was talking about the weather, if not for the twinkle in his eyes.

His humor, though, dipped as he felt something odd thrumming through the Bond, or maybe a subtle shift in Odelle’s psychic scent. To a Warlord Prince used to picking up on weaknesses, and dealing in secrets, that shift was like a mystery that begged to be unraveled, something that would have been fun and intriguing were it not tied to his Queen, which made it cause for concern.

He carefully rapped his knuckles against the side of her head. “What’s going on in there, Odelle? What has you troubled? You know you can tell me anything, right? I want to know everything. I missed so much time and I’ll have you for such a brief window of my life. I’d like to know you, if you’ll let me.” There was none of his usual levity in that question, but the moment of serious intensity lasted just that: a moment. It was replaced by that extatic, toe-curling thing she could do when she touched him. Was this how a housecat felt when their food-bringer would pet them on a nice cold winter day? Must be. It certainly made him want to purr.

It was relaxing, which made her words feel less like a punch in the gut and more like a simple slap. “We don’t know that until it’s done, Lady. I’m not invincible or untrickable. I’ll serve you as well as I’m able but so far Chiara has been a better line of defense than I have and that… troubles me. I feel like there’s more I should be doing.”

"Anyone who gets out of a school run by you with some shred of normalcy left will, by the very definition, be interesting if for no other reason than that their willpower must be legendary." She grinned, poking a bit of fun at Moe. He was - really - very much an oddball. He was HER oddball though, and so she could forgive him for that.

She twitched a little as his knuckles rapped against her skull, eyebrows lifting in question. He must have picked up on her morosity.. and wasn't that a bitch? Normally she could keep those emotions to herself. With a little mental shake, she reset her shields and scolded them to not let such leakage occur again - and then realized she was even starting to think inside of her own head a little like her Moe.

Oh dear, that might be concerning.

Her teeth worried at her bottom lip, and then she let out a little sigh and looked around, quietly tugging Aural Shields into place. Merihem was her Spymaster.. her hidden weapon. She should tell him - he should know what sort of warning signs to look out for. But what if she told him, and he hated her? What if he left? What if her actions made him find her unworthy? It had been hard enough facingn Kamal when he'd found her - but this?

This was something she could choose to hide, to not give up. That was why she fed him her Touch. That was why she made sure he felt.. relaxed.. before she could bring herself to think of telling him anything about her past.

Night.. let him stay.

"Moe.. Is there anything I could do that you wouldn't forgive me for?"

She wasn't looking at him, not really. She was just touching him, relishing the feel of him beneath her fingertips. Because there was a chance this could be the last time she got to touch him if he found her to be a monster.

But she had to tell him. He had to know what he was dealing with, what her secrets that must be guarded were.. because .. because he was hers. And he had offered to guard her from things that others would never see coming. Because of all the reasons for her Bonded to come from beyond the Gate.. this was the only thing that made sense to her.

He laughed loudly at her assertion that anyone who left his institution still normal would be interesting for that fact alone. Too true. Maybe he would have end of year weirdness exams along with the regular ones… yes… maybe a science fair or something with prizes for the most bizarre and inexplicable…

Things to consider.

His attention, though, fell firmly on his Queen as she went silent and pensive, then asked her question. He studied her, confused for a moment. Not forgive her for? What did she think he was, a groveling saint?

“Sure. If you got yourself killed, that would be something I wouldn’t be able to forgive. If you banished Rayne to another Territory I’d get pretty growly too. I suppose if you hurt Chiara we would have some SERIOUS things to work out. If you hurt a young child, or started inexplicably stomping on kittens, or if you decided to tell me to dress normally, I would snarl and bitch and probably put spiders in your bed, but as far as things that don’t involve messing with me and mine or hurting the young and helpless… I’m not one to judge and I’m yours”

He paused, pulled her close and asked, “So what is this horrible thing you did that you’re scared I’ll judge you for. You tell me yours and I promise I’ll top it.” Whatever it was, he doubted it would be that bad. Odelle was a good person. She was a QUeen which meant she was capable of great acts of darkness to do what she thought right and defend her own, but she wasn’t the kind of woman to be evil.

What is this horrible thing you did that you're scared I'll judge you for?

She shivered, continuing to run her fingers over him as she gathered her courage. More than likely she'd have to explain it all. More than likely he'd need every detail, just to make sure that everything was covered. And that.. that was assuming that he didn't shove her away from him and run away from her.

She wouldn't blame him if he did. it was why she hadn't told the others. Rayne knew because.. because she was Rayne. But Jack, Eirnan, and Kaleva? She could never tell them. It would eat them up, and it would tear them apart.

She took a deep breath, gently squeezing her Moe's fingers. "I.. I killed Lady Bethany Smithers. She was in line to take the Province before me.. and I knew.. I knew she would be a terrible Queen for our people." It was like a weight crushing her chest. That silence waiting for his judgement, for his horror, was like a pendulum above her head.

But he needed to know. He was her spymaster, her hidden weapon against the world. How could he do his job effectively if he didn't know the biggest thing he had to hide for her? This.. this secret had to be why he was here. And if that were true.. There was a slight lightening of the weight.

If he was here, hers, because of this.. then didn't that mean she was meant to do what she had done? Didn't that mean she was doing as she was meant to do?

She turned those worried blue eyes towards his face, searchign for.. something. Some sign of what his thoughts were.

I.. I killed Lady Bethany Smithers. She was in line to take the Province before me.. and I knew.. I knew she would be a terrible Queen for our people.

Moe blinked.

“Is that all? I was expecting you to say you slaughtered a village or something.” He let out a relieved laugh. Well, maybe laughing wasn’t appropriate, given the look on her face, and killing a Queen was no laughing matter really, but her complete and obvious horror at what she had done was so… endearing.

So he booped her on the nose.

“Was she the first person you ever killed?” He asked, and assuming the answer was yes, went on. “The first is always the hardest. Mine was my father, did you know that? He was a petty tyrant and I didn’t want my siblings growing up under him, so I murdered him as soon as I had my Rose, right in front of the Altar. I was even more dramatic in those days so I wore all red to the event just because I wanted the blood to fly.” He relaxed back on the couch, pulling Odelle fully into his lap. “Second time was because someone thought they could cheat my family out of a huge deal and would have gotten away with it because of her aristo connections. I wrapped a little spell around her heart that snapped the vessels like a twig the next time she stood up. I’ve lost track of the people I’ve killed, Odelle, and I don’t regret a single one of them. You do what you have to do to protect yourself and yours. You’re a Queen, that’s true for you more than anyone else. If this woman would have harmed your people, then you simply acted first to assure yourself that they would not suffer.”

He pushed the hair back from her brow and lay a light kiss there. “Next time, just point me in the right direction and I’ll take care of it. Or let me teach you to do it better. Your choice, my Lady. Before all that though, tell me why it’s weighing on you so much, so I can tell you just how silly you’re being. And if I’m telling you that you’re being silly, you BETTER believe it.”

He laughed. He laughed, and she scowled before slapping at his shoulder. It wasn't funny! Bethany Smithers had been a good Queen. She'd done well for the District she'd served, and... and it ate her up to have had to kill her. But there'd been no other option. She was getting ready to grump, to curl her knees up to her chest and glare at the wall when he pulled her into his lap and held her close while explaining his own past murders.

And they were murders. Just because murder was not illegal amongst the Blood didn't mean that the term didn't apply.

"She... she was going to start deporting refugees." She whispered it, closing her eyes. "Kaleva, and Kamal.. I might never have met them if she'd had anythign to say about it. She'd have thrown them back to Glacian wolves, and I'd never..." She took a deep shuddering breath, leaning back into him.

"All I could think of, as I tried to find ways around it.. was that they were running from evil. They were trying to find safe places to live, and to thrive.. and isn't that what our Territory is about? Isn't Little Terreille supposed to be a place where anyone can come live, and try to make it? I couldn't let her ruin what we are."

It wasn't just about Kamal, or Kaleva. It wasn't just about the refugees, or about Glacia... though that certainly had made it personal. "It's.. It was about all of it. Little Terreille can't isolate itself, we can't lock our borders and expect to be the shining Jewel that I know we are. Her way of doing things would have seen Rockland continue on as it had.. and we could do better. So.."

She bit her lip, looking down at her hands as her fingers twisted. "So I .. I cut her throat. I drained her blood into a bucket, and then I chopped her into little pieces and fed her to three different farms' beasts. I put the bucket in the bottom of an old abandoned well. Kamal.. Kamal found me during all this. And he.. he helped me avoid hunters and guards."

As far as the world was concerned.. Bethany Smithers had disappeared in the chaos surrounding Hyster's disappearance. As far as the world was concerned, she'd just fallen into shadow and no one knew anything.

But the reality was.. it would sit on Odelle's soul for the rest of her life. "It was terrible. And I wish I hadn't had to do it. But I saw no other way to make sure she didn't ruin everything. And I'd do it again, even though it's eating me up inside, Moe. But.. but if anyone were to find out..."

Moe’s brow furrowed as Odelle revealed the details of why she had bloodied her hands. They were good reasons, so why was it that it bothered her so? She was gentle, under all her shoe-throwing temper and fierce drive to protect what was hers. That was the beauty and the problem with his Queen. A gentle heart in a Realm where gentility had long ago been thrown away in favor of Glacian cultism.

His arms around her tightened and he pressed a kiss into her dark hair. “Lady, you know what I am. I’m a Warlord Prince. I protect what is mine and would gladly kill anyone who tries to hurt someone in my care. This is something my Caste and yours has in common. It is why a Warlord Prince leads in the absence of a Queen. We both defend those who cannot do it for themselves before we do anything else. Whatever else we might be, that is what is at our core. We are, however, also sentient, intelligent creatures not ruled by instinct alone, or else I’d never stop randomly killing people who say boring things -trust me on this. You can choose not to give in to your urge to defend and protect, but in this case it’s good that you didn’t, I think.”

He sighed, his usual levity forgotten and the mask falling away to reveal the much more serious man behind it. “She was going to deport people who needed asylum and send them back to a place where they would be enslaved. If that is not a crime, it should be. You did the right thing, and the fact that Rockland is flourishing under your rule only proves that you are the right Queen for the job.”

Moe nuzzled into her hair, inhaling deeply of her scent. “Kamal was right to help, and I’ll make sure that if anyone else ever finds out without your permission, they will never speak of it. She is gone and her ghost will not resurface. You did the right thing so stop trying to make yourself into a villain. Getting blood on your hands is a good thing. It teaches you that your actions have consequences and that you can’t take them back, and it gives you an opportunity to practice accepting that. Now learn a second lesson from it: there is no such thing as a purely good or a purely bad action. Murder is considered something bad, but in this case it has brought about great good. Torturing yourself just because you think you should be isn’t doing anyone any favors, least of all you.”

She decided, after he spoke, that it was a good thing she hadn't told him of how Kamal had weighed whether or not to kill her. She'd have allowed it. It was Kamal's right to decide if she should pay a Price to him or not for killing a Queen. But still.. Moe wasn't always rational.

And he might overlook that Kamal had chosen to NOT kill her, and help her instead. So.. really, it was better that he didn't know. That secret was not particularly important for his work anyways.

So she snuggled into him, listening to his heartbeat as he held her - because in that moment, there was a sense of peace and relief. Kamal would kill anyone that threatened her, she knew that. But subtlety? Subtlety wasn't really his specialty. Moe though.. Moe would be able to handle threats before they ever came for her - especially now that he knew what to look for.

"I decided to leave Queen Smithers' favored student in charge of a district." She said it quietly, her fingers playing idly with one of Moe's buttons. "Lady Ramsey... Queen of Thorton District. Things between us are... professional.. but there is no love lost there. I thought it best to leave her in place.. so that suspicion would not fall on my Court over Bethany's disappearance. Besides.. she's good at her job. But .. she outranks me in Jewel Depth too."

She sighed, rubbing her fingers over his button to enjoy the sensation on her fingertips. "She's a Red, you know.. I'd rather not get into a fight with her. My gut says.. it must have been someone in Thorton. But.. I don't think it was her, or that she knew about it. Lady Ramsey, if she thought I had anything to do with Bethany's death, would be .. er... blunt about it. Poison doesn't seem like her. But I guess.. I don't really know her that well."

She couldn't share those concerns with anyone other than Moe and Kamal. And after the attempt? She hadn't wanted to talk about possibilities with either of them. Angry Warlord Princes might do something rash.. like try to go start a war on Ramsey's Court over mere suspicion.

Bad enough that the Court thought that searching everyone coming to Court was appropriate.. if she gave them even the hint of a target in those first few days...

Moe held his Queen close as she snuggled into him, all the tension in his body just… dissipating. It was like the afterglow of sex without all the effort to get there. Not that he minded the effort, the effort was the point but this…. This was wonderful too. Different. Unique.

Merihem had always liked unique things.

A frown crossed his calm, contented face when she mentioned leaving the student of her murder victim in charge. “Odelle, darling, that might not have been the wisest thing to allow to linger for so long. At first, sure. Smart move, but you should have moved her elsewhere once enough time had passed. That whole concept of ‘keep your enemies closer’ is only applicable if you enjoy playing with your food -eh, I mean foe- and you don’t seem the sort of lady who delights in that.” More was the pity, but he supposed that was what he was for. “I’ll… look in to this Lady Ramsey. If she suspects anything or even thinks she should have gotten your position instead of you because of her Jewels and ability then she or one of her supporters could be behind the assassination attempt.”

At least Odelle wasn’t a fool. She knew that it was likely danger would come from those most likely to gain if something happened to her. Moe would investigate and once he found the truth, well… outright killing a Queen would draw attention that they didn’t need, but there were other, more creative ways to take care of a problem and if it wasn’t a Queen but just some minion of hers?

Well, it had been awhile since Moe had felt the thrill of death at his fingertips. It always did leave him so very refreshed and full of energy.

For this moment, though, he would not think about killing people for his Queen. Those were thoughts best saved for his next meeting with Lizzy. No, now he just pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled, the Warlord Prince’s arms growing tight.

“Yes, my sweet. We’ll get through this. The cards aren’t going to fall. You just keep building your mills and figuring out how to make this province the best it can be and leave the rest to me.”